Ignition device for internal-combustion engines



L. SANCHEZ.

lGNITlON DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18. m9.

1,393,702. Patented Oct. 11, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

L. SANCHEZ.

IGNITION DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-18.19I9.

1,393,702. Patented Oct. 11, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

LEONARDO SANCHEZ, 0F HABANA,CUBA, ASSIGNOR OF FORTY PER JENT. TO ALEX- ANDRO ANGULO AND TWENTY PER CENT. TO MIGUEL J. PALMER, BOTH OI HABANA, CUBA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 11, 1921.

Application filed November 18, 1919. Serial No. 338,907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARDO SANCHEZ, a citizen of the Republic of Cuba, and a resident of Habana, Cuba, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ignition Devices for Internal-Combustion Engmes, of which the following is a specification. 7

The invention relates to an ignition device for internal combustion engines.

.The object of the presentinvention is to Improve the ignition systems of internal combustion engines and to provide a simple, practical and efiicient ignition device adapted for use on multiple cylinder internal combustion engines and ca able of enabling the charges to be accurate y ignited at the completion of the compression stroke without employing timing devices, and with the use of a single conducting wire leading from the source of current to the spark plugs of he cylinders, thereby greatly simplifying the wiring.

Another object of the invention is to provide an igniting device of this character capable of automatically adjustin itself to the speed of the engine so that t e sparks will be emitted and the charges exploded at the proper time at all speeds of an engine.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novelcombination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof. 4

In the, drawings, in which like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of the portion of an internal combustion engine equipped with an ignition device constructed. in accordance with this inven- Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional Fig. 4 is a transverse the same; and

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the cylinder terminal.

In the accompanying drawings, in :which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the ignition device, which is shown applied to an internal combustion engine having four cylinders 1, comprises in its constructlon a spark plug mounted on each cylinder and equipped-with a single terminal 2 which coacts with a terminal 3 carried by the piston l'of such cylinder. In the operation of the engine, the terminals are moved toward and from each other and when each piston is at the-limit of its upward movement and'a maximum compression of the charge has been reached, the charge will be ignited by a sparkproduced by a current passing through the terminals sectional View of 2 and 3. This may be effected by a high and pass each other in the operation of the piston. -.This will produce a positive contact and a breaking of the circuit anda consequent sparking when a low tension current is used. 'Also, when a low tension current is used, the ignition system is further simplified by the. elimination of the induction coil and the vibrator, which are essential to the production of a high tension current. y

Each spark plug, which isthreaded into an aperture 5 in the top of-the cylinder, is composed of an outer-metallic sleeve 6 having a threaded lower or inner portion 7 and provided with a bore or opening 8 which receives an insulating body 9 of porcelain or other suitable material. The bore ofthe sleeve 6 isenlarged or counterbored at the upper or outer portion to form a shoulder or seat 10, and it is inter orly threaded at 11 and engaged by a metallic 'land 12. insulating body hasareduce lower portion 13 forming a Sl10l1ldeI 14: 3,I1d a suitable elastic packing 15 is interposed between the said shoulder 14 and the seat 10. The outer portion of the insulating body.- 9 is also slightly reduced to form a shoulder 16and a suitable 'packing li is interposed between the metallic gland 12 and the said shoulder 16. The insulating body is also provided with a central bore or opening 18 receiving a conductor rod or member 19 and enlarged all - spherical, like the terminal 2, and

at its lower portion at 20 for the reception of ahead 21 formed on the lower end of the conducting rod or member 18. A suitable packing 22 is interposed between the head 21 and the shoulder 23 formed by the counterboring or enlargement of the longi-' tudinal opening 18 of the insulating body. The head 21 is provided with a threaded socket 24 in which a stem 25 of the terminal 2 is adjustably secured by threading the upper end of the said stem.

The stem 25 extends into the upper end of the cylinder 1 and the piston terminal 3 is preferably of greater diameter than the same. The terminal 3 is provided with a stem 27 having an enlarged base 28 adapted to screw into the threaded socket 29 in the piston head, and provided with a polygonal wrench-receiving flange 30 adapted to be seated against the piston head, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

llhe spark plugs of the cylinders are connected with a single conducting wire which leads to a suitable source of electric energy, which may be a battery 31, magneto, or any other source of electric current. The circuit maybe completed by grounding the wire 32 on one of the cylinders, as shown, and in practice, the suitable switch 33 will be provided and the usual induction coil and vibrator may, of course, be employed, and will be used when a high tension current is desired. In the operation of the engine, the piston on its-upward stroke carries the terminal 3 and theterminal 2 of the cylinder and past the said terminal 2, causing the terminal 3 in operating the terminal 2 to form a spark gap and in passing the terminal 2 to make a contact therewith and break such contact. It will thus be seen that in this operation a spark gap suited to the intensity of the current will be produced both when the terminal 3 approaches and leaves the terminal 2 and that in leaving the terminal 2 the current, when a low tension current is employed, will be broken and caused to spark. With this construction, an air gap suited to the strength of the current will always be produced and the air gap will be automatically varied by the approach of the'contact 3 to the contact 2 and a positive spark will thereby be effected with any strength of current. As a single conducting wire is all that it is necessary to conduct the current from the source of supply to the spark plugs, it will be apparent that the wiring of the internal combustion engine is greatly simplified and that ignition troubles will be materially lessened and that any number of spark plugs may be connected to such contacting wire.

Furthermore, it will be apparent that the position and arrangement of the cylinder and piston terminals may be varied.

The ignition device is adapted to two-cycle engines as well as four-cycle engines, as it is immaterial to and will not interfere'with the operation of a four-cycle engine if a spark be emitted during the exhaust stroke.

What is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a cylinder and a piston, of a spark plug mounted in the end of the cylinders and provided with a relatively long projecting stem having a spherical head, and a piston terminal mounted on the piston and also provided with a relatively long stem having a spherical head carried into and out of sparking position with relation to the terminal of the spark plug by the reciprocation of the piston, said heads being of difien ent diameters and presenting continuous convex faces to each other throughout their entire area and being carried past each other by the said reciprocation of the piston.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a cylinder and a piston, of a spark plug mounted in the end of the cylinder and comprising a sleeve, an insulating body mounted in the sleeve and provided with a reduced tubular portion having an interior shoulder, a conducting member er: tending from the reduced portion of the body through the latter, and provided with an enlarged socket engaging the said shoulder, and a relatively long stem having one end secured in the said socket and provided at the other end with a spherical head sup ported a considerable distance beyond the sleeve by the said stem, and a piston terminal mounted onand carried by the piston and having a relatively long stem provided with a spherical head carried into and out of sparking relation with the terminal or the spark plug by the reciprocation of the piston, said spherical heads being of different diameters and movable past each other by the reciprocation of the piston and presenting continuous convex faces to each other,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

LEONARDO SANCHEZ.

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